BHA chair Lord Allen issues rallying cry on day of strike action

British Horseracing Authority chair Lord Charles Allen has urged those in the racing industry to “stand together” and “make their voices heard”, as the sport pauses on Wednesday in protest at proposed betting tax changes.

The four meetings due to take place were cancelled and rescheduled, clearing the day for the sport to make clear its opposition to potential alterations in duty, with fears tax on racing bets could be raised from the current 15 per cent to the 21 per cent levied on games of chance.

Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA suggests such a rise could cost the sport at least £66million and put 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year in what Allen termed “nothing short of an existential threat for our sport”.

An event has been organised in Westminster with the BHA’s acting chief executive Brant Dunshea, trainer John Gosden and Aintree MP Dan Carden among those due to speak, and Allen has called for a united front from all involved in the sport.

He said: “We need every part of our industry – trainers, jockeys, stable staff, racecourses, and fans – to stand together and make their voices heard and I urge people across the sport and across politics to attend Wednesday’s event.

“We are Britain’s second largest spectator sport, supporting 85,000 jobs and delivering over £4billion of economic value every year. Yet all of this is now being put at risk by a change that would devastate our funding model and the livelihoods that depend on it.

“I say directly to government and to politicians of all parties: this is not a marginal issue. This is about protecting communities across Britain, safeguarding a national institution, and preventing thousands of people from losing their jobs.

“I urge all politicians to listen carefully, to recognise the unique value of British racing, and to act decisively to #AxeTheRacingTax before irreparable damage is done.”

Kempton and Carlisle were both due to race on Wednesday and Jim Mullen, group chief executive of the Jockey Club, which owns both tracks, is in no doubt about the potential impact of raising the betting tax.

He said: “Horse racing has a symbiotic relationship with betting in a way that other sports do not, with bookmakers contributing £350million to British racing annually via the Levy, media rights and sponsorship to fund everything from prize money and jobs to veterinary and equine welfare research.

“If passed, these government proposals would disincentivise bookmakers from maintaining that level of contribution to our sport and result in a reduction in betting activity on racing.

“Research shows that this would have wide-reaching and potentially devastating consequences for people’s livelihoods and our industry, which contributes billions to the UK economy every year.”

Paul Johnson, chief executive of National Trainers Federation, believes the implications of a tax increase could provide a “defining moment” for the future of the sport with the possible financial impacts “unsustainable” and decline “inevitable” in the coming years.

He said: “Numerous businesses depend on a healthy racing industry; these proposals would set us on a path where British racing will lose its world-leading status and international investment will be reduced.

“The best horses will no longer be bred, owned, trained and raced in Great Britain. The best races will no longer take place in Great Britain.

“We urge government to recognise these potentially huge implications and instead to look to policies that will enable racing to support the national growth agenda.”

A decision on any tax change is expected in the Budget on November 26 and Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, says racing’s role in the “cultural fabric” of Britain is acknowledged and underlined there has been no announcement yet.

He said: “The Chancellor has been clear that speculation on tax rises, which is what this is, is not only inaccurate, but also irresponsible. We have not announced an increase in the tax on horse race betting, and racecourse betting currently gets a 100 per cent tax break which we have no plans to change.

“We know horse racing is part of the cultural fabric of the country, that’s why it’s the only sector that benefits from a government-mandated levy. Our wider gambling consultation is only about levelling the playing field and simplifying the system, and we are working closely with the industry to understand any potential impacts.”